Aston Martin CEO and Team Principal Andy Cowell discusses why the British Grand Prix really is our home race, our new wind tunnel and the corresponding uptick in performance during the second quarter of 2025 – and what that means for the all-important 2026 project.
Before fans began to drift in and pitch their tents in Silverstone for our home race, we spoke to CEO and Team Principal Andy Cowell about what the British Grand Prix means to him and our team, the progress made with the AMR25 update package delivered a few months ago, and the details of our update for this weekend. He also touches on the ongoing development of our 2026 F1 car and the value of having our very own wind tunnel.
The British Grand Prix is round 12 of 24. When the chequered flag falls on Sunday afternoon, we’ll be at the halfway point in the 2025 season. How do you assess our progress over the last six races?Andy Cowell: “Overall, since we delivered the update to the car at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, I’ve been pleased with the progress made by the team, particularly in our understanding of the areas that needed improvement. I am, however, perpetually wishing we could improve quicker.
“It was pleasing to see the development work that went into the creation of the Imola update. The operations teams worked very hard to get all of the parts delivered and to a good quality standard; the trackside team had a good approach to validating the performance gain, and overall, we were happy that it was an upgrade that would work across all circuits.”
With the huge changes for 2026 just around the corner. Are you seeing the pieces of that puzzle begin to fall into place?AC: “Yes. Progress has been made, and the concept architecture of the 2026 car is encouraging. We’re seeing greater refinement, growth in the organisation and development in our methods of operation. It’s going well.”
Is our new wind tunnel helping us better understand our updates?AC: “The fact we now have a wind tunnel available to us seven days a week, 24 hours of each of those days if we so choose, is an advantage. Having our own facility speeds up development and provides more responsive answers to engineers’ queries.
“The new wind tunnel is game-changing. It’s driving greater efficiency and ultimately, in the bigger scheme of things, that helps us find answers to the how and the why.”
We have another update for the British Grand Prix. What is it, and is this the final one for 2025?AC: “We have a new floor and top bodywork. This builds on the Imola update, but whereas Imola focused more on the shape of the top bodywork, this one focuses more on the floor with a small modification to the top bodywork, aimed at improving the quality of airflow around the rear tyres.
“This is probably it in terms of 2025 updates. We’ve completed our final scheduled wind tunnel run on the AMR25 – though, as I’ve just suggested, that could change because of the speed with which we can now organise a test. There are not, however, any more planned tests.”
In the past, you’ve differentiated between the value of having an update that’s successful and the importance of knowing the how and why of that success. Does the team fully understand the car we have now, or is that still a work in progress?AC: “Fully understanding an F1 car is a huge challenge, but it’s one that’s as rewarding as it is demanding. We embrace that challenge every day, even when it’s frustrating, and we continue to make progress through a rigorous, science- and engineering-led approach.
“Growing our understanding and translating it into performance is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a key part of why we’re here. The new floor and top bodywork we’re introducing at the British Grand Prix is a step in that journey, developed by a small team of aerodynamicists with a bold and courageous mindset. With every experiment, every test, every iteration, we’re learning more and more, and each step brings us closer to fully understanding.”
The British Grand Prix is our home race. What does that mean to you?AC: “It means a lot. We’re the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, based at Silverstone. We’re here every day of the year – barring the FIA-mandated shutdown periods. This really is home for us. When there are cars testing on track, I can hear them from my office – the noise is often a feature on Teams calls.
“For most of my career, I’ve called Silverstone the home race, but this is properly home. Our car is engineered, manufactured and assembled here. It’s conceived here, 400 metres away from Woodcote Corner, so to be racing right here on the doorstep… well, that’s just exciting, isn’t it?
“Lots of F1 teams are based in the UK, but this feels a lot more emotional than simply playing at home. We’re the hometown heroes. Except Silverstone is a village rather than a town… but ‘home village heroes’ just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.”
And what does all the support from fans mean to you? There will be a lot of Aston Martin Racing Green in the grandstands at Silverstone.AC: “Worldwide, I’ve been blown away by the number of green shirts and caps that you see, and the sheer enthusiasm for Aston Martin really is something. The support we feel is humbling and something we are hugely grateful for. Our team is our fans’ team as much as it’s the team for the people who work here – so I’m really excited to see how that translates for our home race.
“But while seeing the green in the grandstands this week will be uplifting, I also see it in the context of a larger movement for us and F1. On the wider scale, there’s definitely something happening around the sport. I think the appeal has spread across many age groups and demographics.
“It’s something you can definitely feel and notice in your personal life. You have more friends and family that know about Formula One, and don’t just know of it, but know it, and it’s not the people you’d traditionally have expected to be interested. That depth and reach of real information about what’s really going on is spreading much further, wider, deeper than ever it did before. The spread of knowledge about the world in which we race is truly something new.”
